Gravity seat return



J. KuPsKl GRAVITY SEAT RETURN Oct. 12, 1954 Filed Deo. 13, 1949 Patentecl Oct. 12, 1954 GRAVITY SEAT RETURN Joseph Kupski, North Chicago, Ill.,

assignor to The Chicago Hardware Foundry Company, North Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 13, 1949, Serial No. 132,759 Claims. (Cl. 155-95) This invention relates to a gravity seat return and more particularly to means for accommodating rotational movement of a seat or the like and for subsequently automatically counterrotating the seat to return it to its normal position.

The gravity seat return of the present invention is particularly adapted for use with soda fountain or bar stools or the like which are provided with backs and which are aligned along the length of the counter. In order to insure a neat appearance and also to position such seats for ready use, it is desirable to align the seat backs when the seats are unoccupied. Prior to the present invention, complicated spring or hydraulic actuating mechanisms have been employed to so position a plurality of seats in aligned relation. Such seat mechanisms have proved to be expensive, unwieldly, and susceptible to damage upon continued use.

The present invention now provides a simple, inexpensive, gravity seat return which accurately repositions the seat in its aligned position following rotative movement thereof. The gravity return herein disclosed accommodates rotative movement through a relatively wide traverse angle with the weight of the seat itself being employed to return the seat to its initial, aligned position.

The means employed are extremely simple and may suitably comprise intel-engaging, relatively movable, means carried by the-seat stem and in the pedestal, respectively, within which the stem is rotatably received. More particularly, the means includes an inclined surface formed on one of a pair of relatively rotatable members and means carried by the other of the rotatable members engaging the inclined surface for movement therealong as the seat is rotated. The inclined surface accommodates both rotational and vertical movement of the seat from an initial position of rest, with counter-rotation of the seat to its position of rest being effected by gravitational forces acting upon the seat itself, thus causing relative movement of the interengaging members.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide an improved form of rotatable seat provided with gravity return means for returning the seat to its normal position following rotation thereof.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved gravity return seat including a pair of concentric relatively rotatable members, one of which carries the seat 2 for rotation therewith, and means carried by the rotatable members for accommodating relative rotational movement of the seat and for subsequently returning the members to their normal starting position.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a stool including a pedestal telescopieally receiving a seat stem, the stem being rotatable Within the pedestal and carrying means engaging an inclined supporting surface on the pedestal, thereby accommodating rotational movement of the seat while at ythe same time vertically shifting the seat relative to the pedestal. l

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for accommodating rotational movement of a seat positioned upon a supporting pedestal and having a portion telescopically received by the pedestal, the means including a sleeve interposed between the seat portion and the pedestal for rotatably receiving the seat portion, the sleeve having a vertically inclined, radially extending surface which is engageable by means carried by the seat portion, thereby accommodating vertical and rotational movement of the seat portion within the sleeve.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a seat provided with a gravity seat return of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view, with parts shown in elevation, cf the seat of Figure l, illustrating the seat in its normal position;

Figure 3 is a View similar trating the relative position of the gravity return means upon rotation of the seat; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the plane IV-IV of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure l, reference numeral I0 refers generally to a stool provided with the novel gravity seat return means of the present invention. The stool comprises generally a base l I, an upwardly extending tubular post i2 seated on the base il, and a seat proper i3 provided with a back Ui secured thereto by suitable means, as by a pair of connecting members l 5.

More particularly, the base Il is adapted to be secured to a supporting surface i6 by suitable to Figure 2, illusmeans, such as are well known in the art. The upstanding post I2 is xedly secured to the base I l, and that end of the post remote from the base II telescopically receives a generally cylindrical sleeve Il having an enlarged terminal portion I8 forming an external annular shoulder I9 seated upon the adjacent open end or" the post i2. The sleeve" l-liis;pr,ess"tted or 'otherwise secured in the tubular post I2 in non-rotative'relationship therewith.

The sleeve I1 is provided with an internal axially extending bore 2E! having anenlarged interior cavity 2I intermediate its ends. A pair of diametrically opposed, Igenerally ,triangular apertures 22 extend radially I-'through' thexsleeve I'I into communication withthe--enlarged cavity 2 I, the apices 23 of the triangular.apertures-extending downwardly of the 4sleeve toward the base I I. The cross-sectional areaof the apertures 22 increases radially outwardly throughout the sleeve I1 -to vthereby define 'a tapered aperture,

andeachof the walls 2d adjoining the apices 23 is inclined vertically upwardly and radially outwardly therefrom. The side walls 24'of the aperture 22 are thus inclined both Vaxially of the vsleeve I1 and radially thereof.

The sleeve il receives a stem 26 extending axially therethrough, the stem 2li tting'snugly within the bore 2E) of the sleeve while still being free for rotational movement relative thereto. The stem carries at its upper end projecting beyond the sleeve I1 a tripod 21 having peripherally spaced radially outwardly directed arms 28 supporting the seat I3 and secured thereto by suitable means, as by screws 29. The tripod 2 is secured to the stem 26 by means of a dowel pin or the like 3G.

The stem 26 also carries a stop pin 3I extending therethrough and Aradially therebeyond into the triangular apertures 22 of the sleeve Il. The pin 3| is of an overall length less than the internal diameter of the post I2 and greater than the diameter vof the stem 26, as best shown in Figure 4. It'will be seen that upon rotation of the seat I3, the tripod 21 and the stem 26, the pin 3l will be moved vertically upwardly from its position in Figure 2 along the inclined surfaces 24 of the apertures 22. In this manner, upon rotation of the seat, the pin 3l and the stem 2B are each moved both radially .and axially with respect to the sleeve Il and the post I2, as best shown in Figure 3. Upon the release from the rotational force maintaining the pin 3| in the'position shown in Figure 3, the weight of the seat i3 will cause the pin 3i to ride axially downwardly of the sleeve Il .along the surfaces 2li to the normal position shown in Figure 2. In this manner, counter-rotation of the seat I3 is effected so that it may be positioned in the original or normal position.

The particular application of the gravity seat return means of the present invention to stools or seats employed in alignment, as along the length of a counter, bar, .soda fountain, or the like, will bereadily-appreciated inasmuch as it is only necessary to position the sleeves so that all of the backs of the kseats or stools arel aligned when the seats are in their normal position. Sliding movement of the pin 3l along the inclined supporting surfaces 24 will accommodate rotational movement of the seat, with the weight of the seat itself forcing the same into its initial aligned posiion upon the .release of the `force holding it in relatively.rotatedposition The simplicity of the .deviceof the present inopposed inner ivall, portions vention insures its operability under all conditions, particularly since all of the relatively movable parts of the device are housed within the upstanding post I2, thus obviating the possibility of forcing the device out of alignment, snagging the clothes of a user, etc. The device is inexpensive when compared With those previously employedito'senve a simi-larffunction and it elimi- Lnates the necessity of replacement parts, such as springs, and the like. In addition, it is possible l,to accommodate a radial traverse of the seat with...an..overall vertical movement of approximately l{'gth inch, thus obviating the necessity 'fi'or "excessive vertical or axial movement during rotation.

iFurther, the stop pin is guided at each-end'byfthe-diametrically opposed slots or .aperturesl thusgiving a positive guiding action for both axial and rotational movement of the pin relative to the sleeve.

It will be understood that modifications and variations Imay -be effected without `departing 4from the scope of the novel concepts ofthe present invention.

I claim as myy invention:

'1. af-gravity return stool-comprising a base, an upstanding cylindrical post carried by the base, acylindrical sleeve telescopically received by said post in spacedfrelation to said vbase and having a pair of di-ametrically opposed triangularly vshapedfapertures therethrough, said aper- "tures havingtheir apicesdirected toward said `base and Vinclined lsupporting edges extending upwardly therefrom toiterminate in stop edges,

.-a-cylindrical stem extending axially into said "stem land projecting radially therebeyond into said opposed aperturesin `Vsecured 'toisaid stern'andlcarried .thereby for .rotation i therewith, whereby,

sleeve'for rotation therein, a pin carriedby said said'sleeve, and a seat upon rotation of said seat relative to said sleeve, said pinfmoves radially and ,axially of thesleeve along said Asupporting edges-and said seatreturnsautomatically to a centered position with ysaid .pin latzthe apices of said apertures, angular displacement of :said seat being .limited by Contact of saidpinwith the stop edges of said. apertures.

2. In aiseathaving a dependent stem ltelescopically `enterediin a supportingpost,the improvements of a tubular sleeve interposed between ,sai-d: stem and'said post for rotatably receiving zsaidistem, said sleeve having upwardly divergent supporting surf-aces terminating in terminal-stop edges andformed in diametrically thereof, and a member carried'byfsaid stem and engaging said surfaces .formovement over said surfaces as said stem is rotated between the limits imposed by said'stopiedges.

,3.sA gravity return stool comprising a seat having ra depending `cylindrical stem, a iixed sleeve havingga cylindrical bore freely receiving said stem and having diametrally opposed openings therein, veach of said openings having a lowerroundeddge and upwardly liared edges smoothly extending therefrom .to terminate in an upper stop edge, and a cylindrical pin fixed in saidstem torproiect radially Vtherebeyond into said openings for engagement with said edges, whereby .said v,pin normally rests by gravity against said lower `rounded edges, rides up said upwardly flared edges when turning forces are applied to said seatin either direction and automatically returns by gravity to restagainst said lower -rounded .edges when turning forces are released.

4. A gravity return stool comprising a base, a seat having a depending stem, an upstanding post carried by said base, means carried by said post spaced above said base and dening a cylindrical bore extending axially of vsaid post forA said seat being limited by said upper stop surface and by the convergency of said side surfaces, respectively.

5. In a stool including a seat having a dependent stem telescopically entered in a supporting post, the improvements of a sleeve iixedly supported in said post for rotatably receiving said stem, said sleeve having a pair of diametrically opposed triangularly shaped apertures having lower rounded apices and smooth upwardly divergent surfaces thereabove merging into said apices and terminating upwardly in rounded abutment corners, and a supporting pin extending through said stem into said apertures for normal seated position in said lower apices, whereby upon rotational forces being applied to said stem said pin is caused to rise up out of said lower apices along said divergent surfaces and is free to return by gravity to normal seated position upon release of the rotational forces, the extent of the rotation of said pin being limited by the entry of the opposite ends of said pin into said corners.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS umher Name Date 833,818 Adams Oct. 23, 1906 889,631 Murray June 2, 1908 1,897,676 Ries Feb. 14, 1933 2,225,735 Cederquist Dec. 24, 1940 2,351,194 Davies June 13, 1944 2,468,379 Smith Apr. 26, 1949 

